DURHAM – When brainstorming ideas to raise money for a sixth-grade class trip 10 years ago, Durham Community School guidance counselor Pam Lizotte landed on an unlikely fundraiser.

“The first thing I heard was, ‘You want a cow to do what?’” said Lizotte.

Her idea was the Cow Chip Raffle, a game of chance involving a cow, a field, chalked-off squares, recreational gambling and, for 10 years now, the primary funding source for a three-day student trip to the University of Maine’s 4-H Camp and Learning Center at Bryant Pond.

This year’s event will take place at the school on Monday, May 27, and coincide with Durham Community Day. While other activities are planned, the Cow Chip Raffle is the showstopper and by far the most talked-about and attended activity of the celebration, said Lizotte.

“I knew I needed an idea that could raise thousands of dollars,” said Lizotte. “People were skeptical at first and weren’t sure if someone would actually buy a ticket to watch this happen.”

The concept of the raffle is straightforward. People can purchase a $10 ticket and choose a square from the hundreds that are lined off in a field behind the Durham Community School. A cow is then brought to the field. If the cow cooperates and does her chores properly, the holder of the ticket for that particular 2-foot-by-2-foot square wins $1,000.

“It’s an opportunity to purchase a prime piece of real estate,” said Lizotte. “The cow goes on the field promptly at noon.”

The competition can last for 5 minutes or for a few hours, depending on the whims of the cow. This year’s bovine is Jenna (who is paid a modest appearance fee), a 10-year-old Hereford owned by Durham resident Steve Bailey, who has participated from Day 1, said Lizotte.

The fundraiser is especially popular in rural areas of the country and has even drawn the ire of animal rights watchdog the People for Ethical Treatment of Animals, which charges that the event teaches children to use animals for sport and gambling purposes. A cursory Google search of cow patty bingo, as it’s known chiefly, reveals hundreds of similar events in the United States and Canada.

Last year, minus the $1,000 prize set aside for the winner, the Durham fifth-graders, who actually attend the camp entering sixth grade, raised $5,770 toward their stay at the three-day camp, which takes place in September and costs roughly $15,000.

Nancy Decker, chairwoman of both the Durham PTA and the raffle, said the excursion to Bryant Pond is an excellent opportunity for kids to team build. Lizotte, who has worked at the Durham school for 33 years, said it can also be the first time students are away from their parents overnight.

“For me, the behavioral and social development the camp offers is great. We’ve had kids confront their fears in a good way, like one girl who was terrified of the water but learned to swim,” said Lizotte. “Students are asked to be leaders, it gives them a chance to shine, and has a personal development aspect. They have an appreciation and tolerance for each other that they didn’t have before.”

Lizotte said as the event approaches its 10th year, interest continues to grow as townspeople and the just plain curious turn out to try and be No. 1 as the cow goes No. 2. For others, like Decker, the raffle is another reason why she loves living in the town.

“I say to myself, wow, I must really live in Durham to be selling cow patty raffle tickets,” said Decker.

Jenna, a 10-year-old Hereford cow owned by Steve Bailey, plays a pivotal role in the annual Durham Community School fundraiser, the Cow Chip Raffle. It is scheduled for May 27. Courtesy photo

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